Cornell University

Mental Health at Cornell

Resources for student & campus wellbeing

MHR Implementation

Report

Mental Health Review Final Report (pdf)

Preamble

The Final Report (pdf) of the mental health review was developed by the External Review Team with input from the staff, students, and faculty of the Mental Health Review Committee. The review process was completed in March 2020. The following is an excerpt from an April 2020 letter from the external reviewers (pdf) to Vice President for Student & Campus Life, Ryan Lombardi, that accompanied the final report:

“This comprehensive review finds much to appreciate in Cornell’s approach to mental health, and also numerous opportunities for improvement. We are also mindful of the context. Other activities and efforts on campus, including a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion and shaping campus climate are closely related to mental health; you will see that our recommendations complement these efforts.

… The global coronavirus pandemic has not only profoundly disrupted this academic year, but will affect how classes are conducted, how academic progress is measured, and, unfortunately, how university funding is allocated. This crisis will require attending to mental health even more broadly and explicitly, and efforts to improve mental health at Cornell must consider these developments.”

The recommendations in the report provide valuable guidance aimed at helping us become a stronger and healthier community. Nevertheless, the review was conducted prior to the pandemic and our most recent national reckonings with racial injustice. Therefore, it will be important for us both to draw upon the recommendations and to build on them with insights that reflect our current circumstances and expanded collective awareness of racism and its impact.

Details

The Mental Health Review Final Report (pdf) includes:

  • an overview of the campus context in which the review took place
  • a detailed look at the process through which the campus was engaged
  • a full set of recommendations for consideration (see also: “Recommendations at a Glance“)

The report authors included appendices that capture data used to inform recommendations. Those data that are not of a sensitive nature or potentially identifiable are available here: view appendices (pdf).

Key areas

The university’s Executive Accountability Committee (EAC) has been guiding next steps and leading change in three key areas:

  • academic community
  • campus community
  • clinical services.

The EAC explores the recommendations, their feasibility, and strategies for implementation. Student advisory groups will be consulted throughout the change process. This site will post progress reports over time.